Inside Today: Oak Forest man accused in back-to-back murders Page 6
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Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston
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Saturday, July 26, 2025 • Vol. 70 • No. 30
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INSIDE.
Chefs For Farmers tickets now on sale
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Longtime Burglar Caught Again: Deputies nab notorious Heights, Montrose suspect By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com Leonard “Kinky” Campbell, a career criminal with decades of burglaries behind him, is back behind bars—this time caught redhanded after a string of breakins in Houston’s Heights and Montrose neighborhoods. Campbell, whose criminal record dates back to 1977, has already racked up 267 years in
prison sentences for burglaries in Harris County. Precinct 1 Constable’s Office officials say that, fresh out on parole, he wasted little time before returning to his old ways—this time targeting homes for valuables like high-end bicycles, collectible coins, and heirloom jewelry. On July 21, deputies with Harris County Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen’s Office arrested Campbell at a north
Houston motel, ending a new crime spree. Detectives had been tracking him and earlier asked the public for tips on his location. A lead paid off. As Campbell was booked on a felony burglary charge, deputies were already working to reunite victims with stolen property. Among the recovered items were rings of deep sentimental See KINKY P. 2
Photo courtesy of Harris County Pct. 1 Constable’s Office
Pct. 1 Constable’s Office deputies arrested alleged serial burglar Leonard “Kinky” Campbell at a north Houston motel last week.
FLOOD-READY
By BETSY DENSON The Leader News Contributor
Urban Air Heights hosts official grand opening this weekend
Kerr County is changing that dynamic. There was a concerning breakdown in communication between national and local entities. Subscription to an alert system may have potentially altered the impact. In recent years, only a small percentage of Harris County residents have taken advantage of the FWS. But with ever-worsening weather patterns, that is changing. Residents now want to be notified with the same information and data supplied to local authorities—and they want it in real time. There are multiple causes for flooding. In Texas, moving bodies of water flow south toward the ocean, and the southern portions of the state are a last repository before water enters the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, massive growth and development in Harris County have replaced draining land
You might think that a book club hosted by a bar wouldn’t talk much about the book, but you would be wrong. On a recent Wednesday, more than a dozen people settled in at Benny Thunders, 605 Columbia St., in the Heights to delve into the club’s summer classic read - and toxic love study - Wuthering Heights. Over beer and wine from the self-pour taproom, the group hashed out the same questions you might have had if you were ever assigned it in high school English. Was Catherine truly in love with Heathcliff, or was she a psychopath? Was Heathcliff a hero, or the devil? Why is every character in this novel so messed up? The answers to these queries didn’t matter nearly as much as the camaraderie. Kristin Smits is actually an English teacher who drives in from Richmond, TX every month to talk books, and she likes that the setting is decidedly nonclassroom. “I love hearing from people who don’t necessarily have an academic background,” she said. “It’s fun to hear everybody’s unique perspective.” Anna Clearman lives in the Med Center and has been coming since the book club started in 2023, when she heard about it from a sorority sister who lived in the Heights. The group reads a wide variety of books, from memoirs and romances to sci-fi and horror. Clearman’s favorite so far was Matthew Perry’s heartbreaking Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir. Not surprising for someone with dogs named Monica, Chandler, and Gunther. Boarding school friends Deborah Kearney and Cathy Krznar opened Benny Thunders in 2022, after Kearney moved back to Houston from Singapore to care for her brother Ben, who passed away from brain cancer in 2020. His guitars line the walls, so it’s probably not a surprise that other artistic pursuits are celebrated here. ‘We both love to read,” said Kearney,
See FLOOD P. 2
See BOOKS P. 2
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Pet of the Week: Meet Shiki -- a gentle heart, ready to bloom
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Bank of Texas employees choose Kids’ Meals as massive donation recipient
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Off The Street: Art market joins White Linen Night
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THE INDEX. Topics ����������������������������������������4 Classifieds ���������������������������������7
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At this Heights bar, book talk is serious business
Submitted photo
Harris County Flood Control District warning system gages grew from 10 gages to over 370 across the region, strategically monitoring watersheds, especially those prone to flooding.
How the Harris County Flood Warning System alerts the public to rising waters By STEPHANIE SHIRLEY The Leader News Contributor With Central Texas weighing heavily on the hearts and minds of Texas residents, it is time to plan and prepare for the next flooding event here at home. Some say that, because of climate change, it is no longer a matter of if, but when, flooding will occur. The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has had mechanisms in place since the 1980s to gather valuable information about rising water and flood warnings in the area, and they are using those resources to protect the community. Many individuals subscribe to weather alerts to stay abreast of current weather-related situations like hurricanes and tornadoes, but most are not aware of the district’s Flood Control Warning System (FWS). The recent unanticipated rise of water and the subsequent loss of life in
Photo by Stephanie Shirley
Named storms and proximity to flood plains are no longer the only indicators for the potential of major, and at times catastrophic, flooding in Harris County.
La Speranza brings period music and fresh perspective to the Heights By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com In a city known for its diverse arts scene, La Speranza stands out as a Houston-based chamber ensemble with a mission: to bring hope and beauty through historically-informed performances of 18th- and 19th-century music—some familiar, some long overlooked. The group, now entering its third year as ensemble-in-residence at St. Andrew’s
Episcopal Church in the Heights, is gearing up to launch its 2025– 2026 season, “Contrary to Popular Belief.” Using historical instruments and rich, nuanced interpretation, La Speranza challenges long-held assumptions about classical chamber music. Their upcoming season offers a fresh look at works from the time of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, with a twist—this year’s concert series is built around de-
bunking common myths and misattributions in music history. “We want to connect audiences to the emotional world these composers lived in—through the instruments they wrote for and the stories that history may have gotten wrong,” said founder and director Yvonne Smith, a Heights resident and visionary behind the ensemble. Founded in 2016, La Speranza— See LA SPERANZA P. 5
Photo by Carlo Ruano
La Speranza performs at Archway Gallery
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